The makeup industry is more skin shade-inclusive than ever before which means finding your perfect foundation match doesn’t require the time, money and tears that it used to.
In the current beauty climate, the bar for inclusiveness is being set — arguably by Rihanna’s incredibly successful Fenty Beauty line — at new heights. Brands releasing foundations in a limited beige-based spectrum are feeling the wrath (and undeniable purchasing power) of keyboard warriors online, but others are meeting expectations admirably, meaning a wider range of customers are seeing their complexions represented for the first time.
Photo: Michael James Rooke for Miss FQ Issue 2, 2017
Fenty Beauty’s Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, $56, launched to acclaim last year with 40 shades, and this season Dior’s new diffusion Backstage line ushers in a Face & Body Foundation, $80, in 40 shades with six undertone variations. In this market, both are online-only, which makes trialling tricky, but Benefit’s new lightweight Hello Happy Foundation, $54, has landed here and you can test every shade in store. There are only 12, but the brand insists the blendable formula has been carefully crafted with neutral undertones, so has the ability to ‘stretch’ over a broad number of skin colours.
It’s not only new formulations aiming for a more diverse representation — a number of existing bestsellers are also expanding their offerings. Most notably, Estée Lauder has just extended its famed Double Wear Stay-In-Place Makeup, $72, to a whopping 61 shades, with 40 available in store and the full range available online.
Scroll for the most inclusive makeup brands below:
Fenty Beauty’s Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, $56
A soft matte, longwear foundation with buildable medium-to-full coverage, in a range of 40 shades. | Shop Fenty
Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation, $80
A face and body foundation with a natural finish that’s both waterproof and sweat-resistant. | Shop Dior
Benefit’s Hello Happy Foundation, $54
This lightweight foundation evens out skin tone and blurs imperfections with soft-focus optical blurring spheres. | Shop Benefit
Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Makeup, $72
This worry-free, long-wearing makeup stays fresh and looks natural through heat, humidity, and nonstop activity. | Shop Estée Lauder
Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF15, $98
This water-based, oil-free formula delivers undetectable coverage and a fresh, hydrated glow for the most natural skin-like finish. | Shop Bobbi Brown
Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation, $26.99
Normal or oily skin gets evened out and perfected with Fit Me Matte + Poreless foundation. | Shop Maybelline
Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Long Wear Foundation, $73
Following 8 years of skin-perfecting research, Lancôme unveils its first 24-hour wear foundation face makeup for a long-lasting and flawless complexion. | Shop Lancôme
M.A.C Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation, $62
Seamless complexion is just one step away with this long-wearing powder foundation that provides full coverage while still allowing the skin to breathe. | Shop M.A.C
L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Makeup, $33.99
True Match super-blendable liquid foundation perfectly matches the colour and texture of your skin, hiding imperfections with its fine, creamy texture. | Shop L’Oreal
Clinique Even Better Glow Light Reflecting Makeup, $65
Moisturising foundation instantly creates a natural radiance with subtle luminising pigments. | Shop Clinique
Sephora 10HR Wear Perfection Foundation, $32
A foundation that corrects your skin tone, reduces the appearance of wrinkles, pimples, pigmentation and scars, and delivers a natural, flawless finish. | Shop Sephora
bareMinerals Made-2-Fit Foundation, $46
This mineral foundation delivers flawless coverage with a naturally luminous finish that won’t clump or cake, perfect for the no-makeup look. | Shop bareMinerals
Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick, $73
A full coverage, long-wearing foundation stick for the flawless, ultra-perfected complexion you’ve always dreamed of. | Shop Hourglass
Huda Beauty #FauxFilter Foundation, $73
The #FauxFilter Foundation is packed with ultra-refined pigments that visually erase blemishes, conceal hyperpigmentation, smooth skin, and blur imperfections | Shop Huda Beauty
Marc Jacobs Beauty Shameless Youthful-Look 24H Foundation SPF 25, $81
This innovative oil-free, weightless foundation is clinically tested for up to 24 hours of long wear, and contains a first-to-market SPF technology that creates no flashback in photos and no ashy, grey undertones in the formula. | Shop Marc Jacobs
Nars Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation, $78
This full coverage oil-free foundation provides 16 hours of lightweight and fade-resistant wear for an all-day radiant and smooth complexion. | Shop Nars
